North Carolina lurches toward elections with voter photo ID
BY LYNN BONNER for NC NEWSLINE — JULY 25, 2023
Pamela Pearson knows that getting a photo ID for some people isn’t as easy as heading to the DMV.
Pearson is the North Carolina coordinator for VoteRiders, an organization with a mission to help eligible citizens get IDs they need to vote.
Getting an ID can be tough if you can’t take time off to get to the DMV, don’t have a way to get there, or can’t afford the fee to get a copy of a birth certificate, said Pearson.
“There are a lot of challenges facing people,” she said.
VoteRiders can help assemble the needed paperwork, cover costs for documents, and pay for Uber rides to the DMV, Pearson said.
For the first time since spring 2016, North Carolina voters are going to be asked for photo identification when they cast ballots in municipal elections this year. People who vote by mail will be asked to send a photocopy of their ID with their ballots.
Historically, voter turnout is lighter for municipal elections than for statewide elections. This year’s elections are something of a test run leading to 2024, when many more people will turn out to vote in presidential, congressional and legislative races.
Organizations that help people obtain ID, run voter registration drives, and work to boost voter education are getting the word out about with changes, a result of the implementation of the 2018 voter ID law. One important detail is that people without photo IDs can still vote with a provisional ballot if they fill out an extra form.
